Era of change spurs a look back

Published: Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 25, 2013 at 12:22 p.m.

Writers as far back as the Greek philosophers pondered change. Heraclitus wisely said change is the one constant in life.

There are many types of change, including styles of clothing, furniture and technology. Last week, our grandson picked up a Disney video case and asked: "Is this a toy?" At that moment, I felt my age.

I was surprised he did not know what it was, but his generation is growing up with rapid-fire changes. What else will develop in his lifetime now that we have smartphones and Blu-ray players? The electronic gadgets of my childhood are like dinosaurs to him.

In addition to changes in the accoutrements of life, there are changes in society. That same weekend, chatting with friends, the discussion weaved around to the language of our generation.

There are more polite guidelines today. Not so long ago, the N-word was heard. Thankfully, that is no longer socially acceptable. Watch an episode of the television series "Mad Men" to see how women were treated in the 1950s and '60s. Today, those guys would get a smackdown by human resources.

There is a "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaign to eliminate the R-word when referring to the special-needs population and to those with intellectual disabilities. And the population in general seems to be developing more sensitivity in how it speaks about the gay population.

It has not all been progress: I would not mind taking a step back in time when profanity was more of a rarity. Words that would cause a mother to wash a child's mouth with a bar of soap are now commonplace in the entertainment world.

From day to day, we are oblivious to change until we pause to look back. Last week, I read an Associated Press story by Christopher Sullivan on the events that took place 50 years ago. In 1963, I was 10. I had no idea I was living through a year for the history books, and it all happened on the heels of the Cuban missile crisis.

In that year, George Wallace uttered his phrase: "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." Betty Friedan wrote "The Feminine Mystique." Bob Dylan composed "The Times They are a Changin'." President John F. Kennedy spoke about the Civil Rights Act.

The same year, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. Medgar Evers was shot by a white supremacist. The Limited Nuclear Test Ban came to the forefront. Kennedy spoke at the Berlin Wall. Four little girls were killed in a racially motivated bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. Then the ultimate horror happened on Nov. 22, 1963, when President Kennedy was assassinated.

It was a lot for a young child to comprehend, and too much for our country to endure in one year's time.

Fifty years later, we are living through another time of change. President Barack Obama first ran on a platform of hope and change. We are experiencing some of those changes. His ideas are embraced by many, and resisted by many others to the point of petitioning the White House for secession.

Corporations now have "people" status, and the expense of running an election shot through the ceiling. Women and Hispanics now play important roles in elections. There is a backlash and needed examination of gun regulations and the mental health care system. Getting anything done in Congress is a battle, and, sadly, bipartisanship is a thing of the past.

Most of us do not like dealing with change. But change sometimes happens whether we want it to or not. President Kennedy once said that remaining in the past or the present makes us certain to miss the face of the future.

Some local changes I want are for people to be more respectful of one another in public discourse. I cannot claim perfection in that department, but we should at least aim for that ideal. I was appalled at the brusque manner in which a requested resolution by a nonprofit was eliminated from the Henderson County Board of Commissioners agenda a few months back. I would not mind seeing some women step up to the plate and bring a woman's touch to the next election cycle.

On another local note, I do not want to see any more long-timers leave the Flat Rock Playhouse, and I wish to say a public word of thanks to the departed ones who will be missed.

Watching part of the inauguration Monday, I heard some comments of Gen. Colin Powell. Paraphrasing his remarks, he observed that the world sees us here in the U.S. angrily yelling at one another, and saying nasty things about one another; but then the world also sees our country on days like Inauguration Day, where we have peaceful transitions and everyone comes together and somehow it works. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated last week. His model of nonviolent protest is one to remember, as well as his words about not letting any man bring you down to the level of hate.

How we deal with change says a lot about who we are. We need to be thankful we live in a democracy where we can voice our strong opinions. But in doing so, let us keep our respect for one another.

We might remember these wise words of Plato: "You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters."

Mary Garrison lives in Flat Rock. Contact her at mmrgarrison@gmail.com.

<p>Writers as far back as the Greek philosophers pondered change. Heraclitus wisely said change is the one constant in life.</p><p>There are many types of change, including styles of clothing, furniture and technology. Last week, our grandson picked up a Disney video case and asked: "Is this a toy?" At that moment, I felt my age.</p><p>I was surprised he did not know what it was, but his generation is growing up with rapid-fire changes. What else will develop in his lifetime now that we have smartphones and Blu-ray players? The electronic gadgets of my childhood are like dinosaurs to him.</p><p>In addition to changes in the accoutrements of life, there are changes in society. That same weekend, chatting with friends, the discussion weaved around to the language of our generation.</p><p>There are more polite guidelines today. Not so long ago, the N-word was heard. Thankfully, that is no longer socially acceptable. Watch an episode of the television series "Mad Men" to see how women were treated in the 1950s and '60s. Today, those guys would get a smackdown by human resources.</p><p>There is a "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaign to eliminate the R-word when referring to the special-needs population and to those with intellectual disabilities. And the population in general seems to be developing more sensitivity in how it speaks about the gay population.</p><p>It has not all been progress: I would not mind taking a step back in time when profanity was more of a rarity. Words that would cause a mother to wash a child's mouth with a bar of soap are now commonplace in the entertainment world.</p><p>From day to day, we are oblivious to change until we pause to look back. Last week, I read an Associated Press story by Christopher Sullivan on the events that took place 50 years ago. In 1963, I was 10. I had no idea I was living through a year for the history books, and it all happened on the heels of the Cuban missile crisis.</p><p>In that year, George Wallace uttered his phrase: "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." Betty Friedan wrote "The Feminine Mystique." Bob Dylan composed "The Times They are a Changin'." President John F. Kennedy spoke about the Civil Rights Act.</p><p>The same year, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. Medgar Evers was shot by a white supremacist. The Limited Nuclear Test Ban came to the forefront. Kennedy spoke at the Berlin Wall. Four little girls were killed in a racially motivated bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. Then the ultimate horror happened on Nov. 22, 1963, when President Kennedy was assassinated.</p><p>It was a lot for a young child to comprehend, and too much for our country to endure in one year's time.</p><p>Fifty years later, we are living through another time of change. President Barack Obama first ran on a platform of hope and change. We are experiencing some of those changes. His ideas are embraced by many, and resisted by many others to the point of petitioning the White House for secession.</p><p>Corporations now have "people" status, and the expense of running an election shot through the ceiling. Women and Hispanics now play important roles in elections. There is a backlash and needed examination of gun regulations and the mental health care system. Getting anything done in Congress is a battle, and, sadly, bipartisanship is a thing of the past.</p><p>Most of us do not like dealing with change. But change sometimes happens whether we want it to or not. President Kennedy once said that remaining in the past or the present makes us certain to miss the face of the future.</p><p>Some local changes I want are for people to be more respectful of one another in public discourse. I cannot claim perfection in that department, but we should at least aim for that ideal. I was appalled at the brusque manner in which a requested resolution by a nonprofit was eliminated from the Henderson County Board of Commissioners agenda a few months back. I would not mind seeing some women step up to the plate and bring a woman's touch to the next election cycle.</p><p>On another local note, I do not want to see any more long-timers leave the Flat Rock Playhouse, and I wish to say a public word of thanks to the departed ones who will be missed.</p><p>Watching part of the inauguration Monday, I heard some comments of Gen. Colin Powell. Paraphrasing his remarks, he observed that the world sees us here in the U.S. angrily yelling at one another, and saying nasty things about one another; but then the world also sees our country on days like Inauguration Day, where we have peaceful transitions and everyone comes together and somehow it works. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated last week. His model of nonviolent protest is one to remember, as well as his words about not letting any man bring you down to the level of hate.</p><p>How we deal with change says a lot about who we are. We need to be thankful we live in a democracy where we can voice our strong opinions. But in doing so, let us keep our respect for one another.</p><p>We might remember these wise words of Plato: "You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters."</p><p>Mary Garrison lives in Flat Rock. Contact her at mmrgarrison@gmail.com.</p>